Red Packet
by shelter
Summary: Short Story. When the girl Neji Hyuga adores falls for somebody else, he has no choice but to show his love in the only way he knows how: defying his fate & family for her sake. But will it be enough? Completed
1. An Engagement

**Red Packet**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own **__**Naruto**__** & the characters that come with it. **_

**Chapter 1 – An Engagement**

Eyes closed, he could feel the wind coaxing his hair loose.

Without sight, things were absolutely calm, perfectly black and still; he had deactivated all his powerful senses and brought to rest his thoughts for this moment, and he lavished it – a state of ease like never before, with nothing to bother him but the soft whining of the wind and the scrubbed, spicy scent of freshly cut wet grass in the forest, surrounding him.

Slowly, as if he did not wish for this tranquility to depart from him, he opened his palms, letting the descending wind run through them. In a split second, his thoughts were jammed with the information this mere gesture could provide: the wind was blowing south-east, decreasing in speed, and someone was standing in its path, interrupting its flow. Of course, he knew that already, but for the sake of putting his mind at complete ease, he chose to ignore it.

There was some movement now: faint footsteps, the gentle treading of someone's feet over the grass, a strong upsurge in the scent of the forest and the immediate alteration in the direction, force and speed of the wind.

But Neji Hyuga continued to remain completely still. His eyes shut. His head slightly bowed. _Don't hesitate. Relax. Wait for the first move._

The forest around him was burning with all kinds of rapid, indiscernible movements which he was barely able to keep up with. But he did not let his panic take get the better of him. _Silence. _He felt queer speaking to himself, but he knew he had to be close to perfectly composed to execute his moves. Never mind that the wind told him he was surrounded, or that someone was charging towards him, feet crashing onto the grass at an incredible speed. Or, worse yet, he chose not to see.

"Defend yourself, Neji-san!"

He felt the drag of the wind scar his left cheek – it hurt so painfully that it finally woke him – his body now took control from his slumbering mind. His arm when to his face – just in time – to block a swirling leg which had come out of nowhere – _wait _– another drag and now the wind was being sucked through the gaps in between his fingers so fast that it felt like a _kunai _was splicing through them – _again _– his other arm ascended to his torso and with his outstretched, open palm successfully caught someone's fist.

The pressure on both his arm and palm lessened. _He's retreated; he's looking for another opening. _But still Neji refused to open his eyes. Already, he was unable to stop himself from radiating chakra, something which came naturally to him in an emergency scenario; the information he was obtaining from this reflex, inconsequential action could best be described as nothing less than this. _Distracting._

His opponent was coming at him again. But instead of charging right at him, Neji _thought _he was falling on him from above. He confidently struck his arm out, but the force of his entire opponent's bodyweight landing on him was so strong that he could not block the blow. _Damn it. _He parried the kick, which in turn whizzed past his face, the wind so sharp that it bruised him.

_A second's pause_. And the attack resumed in earnest. Two low strikes, a roundhouse kick at his torso again and, to his surprise, an ambitious uppercut in the fashion of his friend Naruto Uzumaki, aimed at his chin, threatening to knock his teeth loose. _Another second to recover_. And followed by a flurry of punches, chops and kicks, one which went so far as to graze his temple. Neji clapped a hand to his forehead automatically; he could feel the contours of his cursed family seal, but beyond that, he was unhurt, untouched, undeterred.

_Time to get serious now. _He readied himself into a fighting stance. All his senses sprung into operation, his every nerve in his body aligning itself to attack mode. _But no I need to relax_. _But let me open my eyes first_.

_Byakugan._

The entire world became a map. And the invading light overwhelmed him for a short moment, but he recovered fast enough to see the terrain, the surroundings, his situation, his sparring partner. He was ready to counter.

As Lee came at him again, he almost mechanically dodged his fierce double-step, his eyes seeking out the chakra burning within his opponent's muscles with every strain and stretch. Even as Lee's entire knee rose to meet his chin he absorbed the blow with his arms. He caught his opponent's leg; his downward fingers injected a mild dose of his own chakra into that offending muscle. _Take this. _And he flipped Lee over him in one swift motion.

_Ha. That should be enough. _

But Lee wasn't done yet. Midway through the air, his leg came down like a bullet onto Neji's head. Neji, already prepared for a counterattack, dodged, returned the blow, only to be blocked by Lee. _Moves within moves within moves. _Neji allowed himself a grin. _Wait. I must not allow myself to get too excited._

Lee broke into a grin as well, before his eyes gave him away. Even before he made his move, Neji already knew what was going to happen.

"Tenten! Give him your best!"

He had just half a second to look up (perhaps less), when he heard Tenten muttering her jutsu. Before he could make another move, what appeared to be two thousand _kunai_ and _shuriken_ came bearing down on him like rain shower. He was expecting it, of course, but he was surprised at the intensity of the attack.

_Wait, wait. And whirl. _

His arms outstretched in a pre-prepared stance, he twirled with an almost graceful ballerina ease, the chakra expelling from his spinning instantly connected with every sharp projectile, and deflected it into a perfectly safe tangent away from his blind spot. _Nice try, Tenten-chan, but not good enough. _He maintained his spinning for another two more complete revolutions, before coming to a complete stop, hardly losing breath. The deflected _kunai_ and _shuriken_ were scattered into several cleanly-defined orbits around him, with an almost mathematical distance from each other.

_Now, one step higher._

As expected, two more weapons – in the form of rotating katanas – came flying out from Tenten's position behind Lee. _Too dangerous for a whirl_. _Relax. Try something else_. He steadied himself, feet closed, arms frozen in the act of preparing a jutsu. He had seen Hinata-sama do this, and he hoped his modified version would work nicely in defending himself from such offensive, deadly weapons. But he right now he needed to be perfectly calm.

_Wait, wait. And move._

He flailed his two arms out, as if he wanted to catch the two weapons closing in on him. He could feel the sharpness, the swift accuracy of the chakra coming out from within his fingertips. He swiped both his hands into the rapidly compressing air – and felt the two spinning katanas pass him harmlessly, in at least five separate pieces.

Now almost at his optimal attacking strength, he paused as Lee moved aside, only to reveal a swarm of three malicious _yari _rapidly closing in on him. _No doubt one of Tenten-chan's secret moves. _Too fast for him to even get into a stance, he made a rash decision to try out something else. Picking up on of the fragments of the broken katana, he just needed a second to concentrate all his chakra into his defensive throw. But for this he needed to be completely calm; fear or adrenaline, he knew, had the uncanny ability to numb his chakra flow.

_Wait a little longer. Now!_

He flung the fragment into the air, and it exploded into a hundred thousand smaller pieces of steel which, like a magnetic cloud surrounding him successfully met with each approaching _yari, _hitting them off tangent at an angle small enough for him to remain unhurt. Some of those fragments, however, surpassed his targets, and like darts rained upon the trees.

Neji landed feet first, as the _yari_ hit the ground with a unconvincing plunk. He got into position for another wave of attacks again, but none came. Instead, Lee was approaching him, applauding and smiling. Tenten had kept her scroll of ninjutsu of weapons. The sparring session was finished. _Relax. Relax. It's over. _At once, he broke his stance, and let out a breath of air.

"Marvelous, Neji-san," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady his teammate. "But nothing less than expected from you."

"You flatter me," Neji replied, although getting congratulated by Lee could sometimes feel as good as being awarded the title of Hokage.

He stared at the two of them. "Please, tell me your comments."

"Why didn't you use any of your Eight Trigram Palm moves?"

"And what were those two last moves that you used to hit away my katanas and _yari_?"

_Nice observation._ "I was perfecting Hinata-sama's move against your katanas, trying to blow chakra through my fingers against an object in a single direction and cut through the air," Neji could not suppress a small grin when the knowledge showed on his teammates' faces. "And the last move… well, I haven't thought of a name for it yet. Trying to use chakra to turn anything in my hands into a weapon."

Tenten gave Lee a deadpan look. "Well, nothing less from the great Neji-san, the genius of Hyuga."

He chose to ignore that. He already knew the resentment his Jonin rank was causing amongst the other Chunin, but he had always laughed it off as friendly competition. _Unless there really is such a thing as overachievement. _

"Relax, Tenten-chan. You can have another round at him another time," Lee said, breaking the tense silence between the two. "We'll end our training here today. We better get going. I'm sure you two have family functions to attend."

_Indeed. I almost forgot. _But as much as he would hate to admit it, he was not looking forward to yet another Hyuga family reunion dinner. He might be a Jonin among the Kohona ninja, but well, Neji knew family was something else altogether. As he watched his friends depart, he felt he should have asked Lee whether he would like to join him, although he already knew Lee would politely refuse. Anyway, he wanted to spare Lee the unpleasant business of his splendid Hyuga family. 

* * *

As with any noble family in Kohonagakure, the Hyuga family was compelled by tradition to hold its reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. And like all the previous years, Hiashi Hyuga his uncle would be hosting the assembly of his elders, cousins, nephews and nieces from all over the nations. As a member of the branch family, Neji had an important role to play. 

He was the doorkeeper.

"Don't believe that just because you have that mark you must listen to what those elders say," Hiashi-sama would say to him. "You do not have to keep the door in my house."

Neji would not have any of that. As he dressed in traditional Hyuga robes for the formal dinner, he thought over his reply to Hiashi-sama: _suffer me this little dishonour now, for I do not want to shame the head of the family or the man who has been putting a roof over my head. _

He stared at himself in the mirror; he did not think of himself as essentially vain or, on the other hand, stunningly handsome. He might have some distant cousins to impress, but he was sure they had already heard he was a Jonin. That would keep them quiet. He took the time to straighten his sleeve: his robes were so much lighter without all his weapons and ninja equipment.

And of course, he spent that time to make sure his fringe thoroughly covered that curse mark. Only when the moon and the universe was harmony on the first day of the calendar did he allowed himself to let his hair down.

It was custom that he receive the other distinguished members of Hyuga's main family into the sitting room, but the members of the branch family would have to spend a moment in the open courtyard before they could assume their seats – at a separate table. By the time he had taken his place, several branch family members, probably his late mother's cousins, were mingling in the courtyard. Within, guests in the lighted sitting room were being attended to by Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama.

At every gentle knock on the door, it was custom that Neji greet these guests with a short bow, them address them by their honorific titles in the house and family. It was difficult to memorize every single face and match it to every name, but he wasn't a Jonin for nothing. Door keeping might be banally tiring, but it did have its privileges: he was on the receiving end of _otoshidama_ from his married relatives. He might be probably too old to accept money in such childish New Year packets, but it was a Hyuga tradition to give _otoshidama _to all unwed members of the family.

He noted the arrival of an important Main Hyuga family member, Hidetori-sama; his father was a distant cousin of Hiashi-sama's father. In spite of the complex family ties, he was a respected Main house member who sat with the Hyuga elders in formal functions such as these. Neji was sure to greet him very carefully.

"Blessings and prosperity be on you and your family, Hidetori-sama," he said, but the man just brushed past him, clearly not interested in a doorkeeper's greetings. _Well, politeness doesn't always go both ways._

He gently shut the door. The courtyard was a moving mixture of his distant cousins and their families, patiently waiting for permission to enter the sitting room. It should be any time now. He caught sight of Hanabi-sama ushering Hidetori-sama to his seat; almost everyone was here, but was someone missing? _There are still empty chairs. _But he could not put a name to the guests who were late. Memory failed him this time.

As if to confirm his forgetfulness, he was alert enough to notice another knock on the door outside. Hinata's face swam into view.

"Hinata-sama," he said. He was trying to contain his smile, but this was one area which he did not have complete self-mastery over. Unlike him, she had braided her hair for this occasion, and it framed her angelic face with the perfection of a full moon.

"Hello, Neji," she said. Her kimono, which she had only started wearing to such formal occasions as the heir to Hyuga house, was a dazzling, deep red, with lighter blossom-shaped smudges of lighter black. _Simple and sweet. _"Is everyone here?"

He was too taken in by her to reply. He caught the scent of her perfume as she passed him, the loose locks of her hair threatening to sweep his face. She was _that _close. She smiled as other relatives greeted her, and she turned to Neji, holding out something to him.

_Otoshidama_? He stared at the red packet, confused.

"Hinata-sama, what's this for?" he questioned. "I don't understand –"

In his conversation with Hinata he had absent-mindedly left the door open. Someone else edged into the courtyard. Because he was not wearing any Hyuga robes, or not in such striking colours, he was easy to identify.

_Naruto? What are you doing here?_

"Neji!" he greeted him. It took him a moment to connect Naruto's wide, over-eager smile, Hinata's obvious blush and the packet of money in his hand. His eyes swept past Naruto to Hinata, then to her father at the head of the table in the sitting room, and finally back to Hinata again.

"Wait, don't tell me..."

"Neji-nii-san, don't say it yet," Hinata put a finger to his lips. He realised that with her so close he was trembling now. "But Father knows, and he has given us his blessing. Let him break the news of our engagement to the elders in his own way."

He took Naruto by the hand, and led him within, earning the curiosity of some of the other relatives. Stunned, shocked and speechless, Neji clutched Hinata's _otoshidama _like it was his heart. In his dreamy shock, he closed the door and took his seat with his fellow cousins at the Branch family's dinner table.

_What does she think she's doing? _He stole a glance in Hinata's direction. With her colours and dress, she wasn't hard to notice. Flanked by her father and her fiancé, she had never smiled so much before. Engaged or not, Neji believed, she was still the heart and soul of this occasion. _But what stunt is she trying to pull? _Hiashi-sama appeared not be to concerned; he looked even delighted to finally meet the young man which had so much influence on her daughter. Glancing beyond them to the other members of the Main family table, he seized upon the questionable looks they were giving the new couple. _They will never approve, won't they? What __**does**__ Hinata-sama think she's doing?_

But as he concluded his dinner and returned to the door to see his guests out, he felt something stir inside him. _All those years of tough ninja training, and yet I cannot master myself_. He tried to fight the stifling jealousy he was experiencing, and to tighten the loose thoughts of doubt which were lashing out every time she saw Hinata smile. He wanted her to be content, he told himself mentally. _And she's nothing more than my cousin, right?_

_Wrong._

As he saw his guests out, it was Hyuga family tradition that between the end of the reunion dinner and the first celebrations of the New Lunar Year that other well-wishers be allowed into their mansion to bring good luck, blessings and prosperity. So as he kept the door, Neji had the dual role of seeing his relatives off into the night and receive friends eager to wish them happy new year.

Sure enough, just as the first batch of his cousins were taking their leave, two figures – a young man and his muscular pet dog – emerged from the shadows. _Kiba Inuzuka. _Akamaru barked an introduction, and Neji left his post to approach him.

"Kiba-kun," he said, smiling. "May the gods bless you and your family this year, and of course, Akamaru too."

"Same to you, Neji," he replied. "I've heard some amazing news from Hinata and I want to congratulate her. Is she inside?"

"Oh yes. And she's never looked better." 

* * *

**NOTES**: _My first __Naruto__ fanfiction – and it's a short story. I've only just started writing short stories, because I lack the patience to write epic, long stories. Think of this particular short story as a standalone episode, just like one of those annoying anime filler arcs in the Naruto series, the purpose being trying to explore the relationship between the Hyuga shinobi we all love._

_Some other clarifications: my coverage of Lunar New Year in my story might not be entirely accurate, because I'm Chinese by birth and Japanese and Chinese customs differ technically, although their reasons and purposes are the same. Firstly, the reunion dinner is an essentially Chinese tradition that I've tried to adapt for this story. And I have been a 'doorkeeper' on several occasions myself, being the first to greet guests and announce their arrival. Secondly, in the same way we Chinese have _'Hong Bao'_ (red packets or '_Ang Pow'_ if you are Hokkien like me) the Japanese have their _otoshidama_. How it relates to the title will be revealed later. Whether or not they are distributed to unmarried family members is something I seek clarification about. _

_I'm planning to keep my short story below 10,000 words, or just at 3 chapters. Your reviews are greatly appreciated :) Thanks!_


	2. An Objection

**2. An Objection**

Whether it was the final product of his training or a sign that he was losing sleep, he could pacify himself so much easier now. He was so much able to reach that state of abstract, final serenity needed for him to pull off powerful, draining moves.

He allowed himself to let out a soft sigh. He might have been completely relaxed, but his mind was encumbered with visual imagery he could not clear.

_All the guests had left. Only a few of the Main family members were scattered across the courtyard and mansion, along with some well-wishers and, of course, Hinata-sama. She had unconsciously been the person he needed to talk to most tonight, much more than all his seldom-seen cousins. All the table talk of him becoming a Jonin he had politely endured with the usual niceties. He needed a moment alone with his immediate cousin – his closest cousin._

At absolute ease. He straightened his arms, and flexed them. He could not see it because his eyes were closed, but loose chakra was tensing within his muscles. This, with the fact that he was standing in sun, made him look like he was reflecting light.

_He clutched her arm. He might not have realised it, but to Hinata his hand on her arm felt like a vice. Yet she continued to smile, even when he said, "Can I speak to you for a moment, Hinata-sama?" and pulled her aside without waiting for a response._

_In the semi-darkness of the porch overlooking the courtyard, he knew he would be safe from curious eyes, especially from people like her father, Naruto himself or any family member who would disapprove of him standing this close to her. It was not that he couldn't help it; they were cousins, they _were_ close. Or at least that was what he thought. _

_"Neji. How long have you known me?" she put the question to him, overriding his persistent arguments over why she had chosen to get engaged, and not tell him about it._

_"Long enough to know that deciding to spend your entire life with someone on a whim is completely out of your character," he retorted. Thinking back, he felt that he probably sounded a bit too aggressive._

_He thought he saw her steal a glance at Naruto. _Lucky bastard – _but he drove all such thoughts from his head. His anger was reserved for his own shortcomings, his family's stupidity and his enemies. And Hinata-sama's fiancé was definitely not one of them._

_"Father always said I was reaching marriageable age, and you already know there has only been one person I would prefer to spend my entire life with," she told him. _

_"And Hiashi-sama agreed?" he asked, disbelieving._

_Hinata gave a small blush. "I thought I had finally done something right at last. I made a choice which both makes me and Father happy."_

_He felt like he wanted to scream at her. _What about me? You didn't ask me. _Instead, what came out from his mouth sounded like an exhausted sigh, which he managed to cover with a very forced smile._

_"But what about the Hyuga elders? You know they would never approve…"_

_She cut him off with a sublime laugh, which was genuinely happy. "Since when have we obeyed our elders by being who they want us to be, my dear cousin?"_

As he let the echo of her words bounce off the walls of his head, he felt his own words leave his mouth, echoing in the forest glades.

"Fight me with all you've got."

_"Are you going to give me lecture on how I should or shouldn't challenge fate, Neji?" she looked him intently in the eye. Her stare was burning so hard he had to look away briefly. "I want to make a choice, a right choice, and defy the fate which has kept us down since we were born."_

_His eyes widened. What is she trying to say?_

_"I've been fighting fate from the start, till I don't believe in fate anymore. Faith, in my choices, in Greater Powers, in this flawed life is enough, I believe."_

_He chuckled, loosening the tension between them. "Hinata-sama, now you sound like a philosopher."_

_She laughed too. But then, they stood there facing each other for a long time; he was the one breathing strongly, while she continued to stare at her older cousin with eyes so powerful they seemed like lasers. However, he could tell that she, backed up against the wall, was beginning to feel uncomfortable with him so close, so he reluctantly edged away, allowing her to pass him by. _

The scent from Hinata's perfume was almost as pervasive as the smells of shorn grass, tree bark and the crowded forest. He could still smell her when he caught the first kick, aimed at his face. He spun, the memory of her scent almost flying from him, before he seized the offending leg and chucked the entire body of his attacker over him.

He over-compensated, but still managed to land efficiently on his feet and resumed fighting stance. A dull crash. One down.

_"So am I right to assume that you won't change your mind?" he asked her. So many questions, all so difficult to answer._

_She was facing him again; her outstretched hand, she held his palm up. Her touch was like a blade dancing over his skin, a static charge of many emotions. She was in position to perform a _Juken _on him, like she did all those years back in the Chunnin exams. So he tensed a bit, in accordance to all his training. But Hinata traced the rugged terrain the many _kunai _he held had worn into his hand, and at her gentle touch he relaxed._

_"Neji-nii-san, you're more to me than this family. You're my cousin. And to me, that's enough." _

_And he was half-cursing himself, half-astounded by her words as she turned and walked away._

Crash. He parried someone's knee attempting a very sneaky attack on his groin, and then with a minimal amount of force he expelled a burst of chakra, stunning his attacker before pushing him to the ground. Another one down.

He would be anticipating a low body strike. But as the air suddenly thickened, it took a moment to register that his opponent was coming in on him from above. _What the hell. _He sidestepped the attack. The ground shook. And –

_Just a cousin. No, that's not enough to me. _

He failed to notice how his opponent had already anticipated his move. Instead of catching the low strike which would eventually come, he recoiled with predictable instinct when both a fist and a leg came out from the darkness at him. The first he caught, but he was not fast enough, his mind overburdened, and the leg grazed him square in the chin. The impact shook his entire jaw.

"Neji-sensei!"

He opened his eyeshis hand took to comforting his jaw, and sought out his three students from his team who he ordered to spar with him. Two were on the ground, victims of his defence; the third was staring at him, both amazed and proud he had landed a kick on the untouchable Neji Hyuga. He allowed himself to break into a grin.

"Neji-sensei, you said we were supposed to train seriously," one of his students said. "If you were serious, he wouldn't have been able to hit you."

"Sorry guys. I have a lot on my mind," he said, and he watched their faces turn even more confused.

He took a seat beside the boy who had landed the kick his chin. _Nice move. That's talent if I saw it. _He expected him to be entering the trials any time soon. He was immediately surrounded by the other two, curious to know why their sensei had exposed a moment of weakness.

"Tell us what's on your mind, sensei," one of them requested.

Neji sat in his recovery position. "It's quite complicated. I don't think you will be able to understand."

"It's about the girl isn't it?"

He stiffened. He felt a rush of blood going to his cheeks. But in a moment it was over, and he broke into the rigid, all-knowing nod his students were accustomed to seeing.

"If Neji-sensei cannot get the girl he wants, I think we should give up already," the second of his students said. And they all, including Neji himself, broke into laughter. Only with his students did he permit himself to show his soft side. Not even Lee or Tenten could joke so freely with him.

"And Neji-sensei would like to add that his problems are personal," he said, and their smiles instantly faded. "But yes, it's somewhere along that line."

His third student, who had remained quite quiet up to this point, caught Neji's gaze. His taijutsu really needed improving, he knew, but (like Naruto) he was persistently, stubbornly trying. Then, he completely stunned Neji when he spoke: "Sensei, you taught us yourself that there are many kinds of jutsu. So I suppose that there are many kinds of love also. Just because the girl you like doesn't respond to your love, doesn't mean you don't stop. Maybe you should change how you love her."

The other two looked at him as if he had swallowed an explosive note.

"That's the most ridiculous thing…"

"No, I think that makes some sense," Neji said, and he saw the boy's features lighten. A compliment from Neji was as rare as snow in summer and as rewarding as passing the Chunnin exams. He gave an inner smirk as he saw the other two's faces turn in astonishment.

"Yes, you're right. I need to change some things," he drifted off dreamily.

_But then again, that's much easier said than done, isn't it?  
_

* * *

Neji would have had his entire day to train and loosen up with his three Genin understudies, but halfway through the afternoon he was summoned back to the mansion on the orders of the Main Family. Hiashi-sama sent him word through his team leader, Gai. Neji knew that if the head of the Hyuga family was to pass a message through Gai, it had to be important. 

Immediately, he stopped everything, dismissed his students and took the fastest route back to the Hyuga mansion.

Once within the mansion, he was treated to a strange sight: the sitting room, last night's venue for such a cheerful and happy occasion, was now filled with many men. Many old men, to be exact. Knowing better than to interrupt something he was uninvited to, he tried to move across the open courtyard undetected. But there was a sharp hiss, and suddenly all the men had turned their heads towards him.

"Ah, Neji-kun!" the distinctive voice of Hiashi-sama resounded from with, and immediately Neji saw the tall man appear in the doorway between the courtyard and sitting room. "We have been expecting you."

He was given a place at the very corner of the room. Neji had hardly sat when he noticed another strange thing: he was surrounded by Main family members. Everyone who was privileged to dine with Hiashi-sama the night before was here, from the Hyuga elders down to that sneaky-eyed cousin of his, Hidetori-sama. But, his heart sank when he realised that neither Hinata-sam, nor her sister, was nowhere to be seen.

"So now that we have a Branch family member here to witness what we're going to discuss, in accordance to Hyuga tradition, we can continue," went Hiashi-sama.

Neji's wide eyes betrayed more than this surprise. _I didn't know there was such a clause in Hyuga tradition._

"You already know our answer, Hiashi," said an elderly man dressed in Hyuga robes. "And should it even cross your mind to even continue with what you've told us, you will suffer the consequences we elders will impose on you."

"It's unthinkable!" went another.

"You turn your back on the family!"

"We would not sit and watch the Hyuga family tradition dilute. No, not under our guard."

Neji watched, trying to hide his surprise. No one, ever since he had known the complicated Hyuga tradition, had ever dared to speak to Hisahi-sama so rudely, so blatantly – his step-father was the head of Main family here in Kohonagakure anyway. But even more unexpected was Hiashi-sama's reactions; Neji expected him to lash out with fury, but he acted as submissive as Branch family member.

_What the hell is going on here?_

He heard it from the first elder who spoke.

"We would not have the heir of this family married off to a bastard of unclean origins."

The other elders rumbled in agreement.

_So that's their problem. Very strong words. I don't think Naruto would like to be classified as frog spawn. Good thing he isn't here. _

"Hiashi," explained a more reasonable voice, "there must be better suitors for your daughter than this Uzumaki fellow."

"He has a cursed being inside of him, which would kill us all if it could!"

_Playing on old wives' tales. There's nothing wrong with Naruto. _And then Neji thought about it again. _Why am I defending Naruto anyway? _

"Your disagreements are understandable," Hiashi-sama said, breaking his silence, "but I think as her father, I know what's good for my daughter more than any of you."

"Do you?" went a defiant voice. "You don't know what's good for the Hyuga."

Neji identified that voice as Hidetori-sama's. _Watch your words, arrogant monkey. _Without knowing it, he balled his hands into fists, but unclenched them – he was supremely conscious of his place as a Branch family member here today.

Hiashi-sama, too, appeared to be on threshold of losing his patience. He blinked his eyes to a close, but regained his composure within a second. But his eyes were different now. He was not showing his _Byakugan, _but his stare towards his elders was much harder than Neji remembered before.

"I should know this family better, being the head," he said. "Even if I take your objections seriously, would you be able to find be someone suitable for my Hinata?"

A very unnerving pause – not because no one could answer the question, but because Neji could see, in the exact same way he observed Hinata-sama's eye movements during the Chunnin exams years back, some elders switching their glances, sweeping their line of vision towards him. Being a Branch family member, he held their eyes, if even for a moment – and flashed back a look of intense defiance.

_What the hell. _Something was smiling inside him now, but that lofty, warm feeling was interrupted by the chorusing frustration mounting against the Hyuga elders. He held his blank look: he wanted to see Hinata-sama turning and smiling back at him, but he was not willing to submit to the Hyuga family just to see that. _I'm not going to give you the pleasure of reminding me of my fate. _Then an overpowering image of Hinata inundated his conscience: she was tracing the worn lines of old injuries in palm, and when she looked up, her full, shy face as sweet as a wildflower in the desert sand… _Stop. Stop. Damn it. I've got to stop this –_

The silence was broken by Hiashi-sama himself, who seemed to echo the very thoughts of everyone present: "We all know the problems that arise when the Hyuga are forced to marry within the family."

Another elder countered: "If it is the only way to keep the Hyuga family pure and untainted, we have the right to invoke it."

_No you won't. _Neji softened his stare, and closed his eyes, where the darkness and the absence of so many old people with unknown motives helped him regenerate and calm himself. Someone else began to speak to him: _you could invoke the right, idiot. You could just say you wanted it. And you could be together with Hinata for good, with the family's approval, for everyone's good. _His breathing slowed; he knew where this channel of reasoning was leading to.

_What more could you want?_

His held his breath, forcing himself to suffocate, before he found himself reacting with a sharp intake of air that lit up his darkened eyes a flare in a closed room. _No._

_I will not rob Hinata of her own free will. _He bit his own tongue, and tasted blood, like bitter tea, anchoring his own conscience to the bottom of his head. _I will not allow fate to step in._ He opened his eyes to notice some elders staring curiously at him. He took a deep breath. _There are many kinds of love. _He could even hear the words his student taught him. _And I have to find the right one to love her with. _

"So what is our agreement on this matter?" demanded Hidetori, clearly impatient.

"I am the head of the Hyuga family in Kohonagakure. My word and decision are final," Hiashi-sama got up, and prepared to walk out of the room. He cast his eyes on the elders. At the last moment looked to directly Neji, but said aloud to the group, "I think my daughter has been through enough with all your expectations. If you care so much for the family as you say you do, you would leave us in peace."

Someone snickered. But Hiashi-sama chose to ignore it, and walked out to courtyard, disappearing into the inner rooms.

"He is an idealist," said the eldest among them. "Unfortunately, he is also a fool."

"He has never been quite the same since his brother died."

Neji stared at them. _Unbelievable how you make everything so trivial, like some twisted game. _He wondered why he was even staying with them; without Hiashi-sama, his reason to stay had evaporated.

"What do we do next?" another elder asked.

"We will have to accept that the head of the current family is not going to back down," another said. "It has happened before, but it might take a while to rectify this problem."

"Keeping the Hyuga family pure and ensuring the _Byakugan _remains within the family are most important," said the eldest again. "Happiness and contentment is all secondary."

"Maintain the family honour."

"Uphold the tradition."

"Keep the blood limit unpolluted."

The elders mumbled a perverse agreement, their eyes swirling across the room to meet each others'. The eldest of them all, presiding over the scheming now that Hiashi-sama was absent, lifted his eyes to meet Neji's.

"You are passing over a great opportunity," he told him. As much as his anger against these elders was like concrete in his heart, he could not help but let the invitation stare at him in the face one last time.

_Don't succumb. _

"If Hiashi-sama disagrees with you," he said calmly. "I would be a blood traitor if I did otherwise."

"Then that's your answer then," the eldest of them said.

"We hoped you would at least follow our advice," the elder nearest to him said. "We know what's best for you."

"No you don't," Neji answered. He got up from his position, and strode towards the door, savouring the tense atmosphere saturating the room at his departure. _The curse seal is throbbing._ He was expecting someone to intensify the curse seal, a punishment for his defiance, but by the time he had reached the courtyard, the elders were no longer preoccupied with him anymore. _It's stopped. _

_I'm not letting your version of fate lead me by the nose anymore._

But, his back turned to them, he could still hear their arguments. And someone had succinctly said something which made him doubt his own choice.

"I invoke a sacrifice to keep the Hyuga family secure."

He was sure those crafty old men were doing it on purpose.

* * *

**Notes:** _This went through several rounds of editing, but I'm still not satisfied with it. I was trying to tie up the loose ends, as commented by _ThebigW_, but I'm not sure if it will suffice. The first part was meant to be a rapid succession of thoughts, an inner conflict sequence, which I may use again for my other stories, because I had such fun writing it. All in all, writing this particular chapter took longer than I expected._

_On the average 1 chapter takes me about a week to complete. My targeted end for the final chapter will be this time next week. _

_Thanks for the reviews, guys. The red packet will come back into significance in the final chapter, I promise. _


	3. An Absolution

**3. An Absolution**

"And that's what they said? That they wanted a 'sacrifice' to protect the family?"

Neji sighed. "Yes. I felt they wanted me to hear it, either to see how I would react or to openly threaten me."

"I don't like the sound of that."

They had been in out here for almost an hour, and they were still early; the morning air had yet to be charged by sunshine and under the cover of trees their shadows still snaked long in the grass. Gai-sensei had ground this training routine into them. Second day of Lunar New Year or not, training had to be conducted.

Interspersed with their conversation, the monotonous drone of crickets, and the sharp clicking of birds echoed in the hollow of trees; they had grown accustomed to the early morning noise of the woods. These sounds, combined with the _thud thud thud_ of Lee using a tree as a punching bag, helped diminish the uncomfortable silence between them which sometimes flooded them: between themselves, they were not accustomed to talking about anything personal.

_And we've been teammates for five years, _thought Neji. Self-discipline, strength and teamwork were Gai-sensei's three objectives for his team; he had apparently left out accountability.

"You should have seen her. I've never seen her that happy before. She had such a smile on her face when I went to congratulate her," Tenten said, half-grinning. "Now I truly begin to wonder whether it was her or Naruto's idea to give us these."

He saw she had an _otoshidama _in her hands,resting cleanly in between her fingers. He unearthed his from his pocket, and dangled it in front of Tenten. Only then did he realise he had kept Hinata's little gift in his side-pocket for two straight days without opening it. _So I'm not the only one who received them then_. But did it matter?

"I received mine too," he said, a matter-of-factly. At once he regretted his tone, because his teammate, sensitive to his moodiness, caught the barely hidden discomfort in his voice.

"It's no use telling you that you should be glad when you're not," she told him. "What's bothering you?"

He stared past her at Lee, a small little blurry green figure camouflaged against a backdrop of walled trunks and nodding crowns of leaves disturbed by the occasional gust of wind. _What's bothering me? _And then his eyes lost their sharpness, and all he could see was Tenten, her hands ironing out her massive scroll so that it could be kept in its sheath. The forest appeared constricting in front of his eyes; but he already knew it was a common feature of using _Byakugan_ vision: a piercing field vision, coupled with annoying sharp, short-sightedness meant as a defensive reflex from staring too far. _What's bothering me? I can't even tell. _

"I'm just worried about Hinata-sama, that's all," he breathed out in one short breath. "She's out… of her… league. She doesn't know what she's doing."

_Liar. _He knew what _he _was afraid of though. _Elders, cousins and this threatening word called 'sacrifice'. I can almost see what they want. _But he was hoping he was just being irrational.

"Neji, you need to stop worrying about her. You need to stop seeing her as a little weakling, she can take care of herself."

He scowled. "No it's not that," he sighed again. _Might as well tell the truth. _"I'm afraid she won't be able to stand against those stupid Hyuga elders."

"Neji, you're just insecure because you can't stand up to them either, can't you?"

"Yes." _But soon I will have to defy them anyway. Very soon._

Tenten listened with a familiar silence; this same quiet acknowledgment always ensued his musings about his family. Both were tacitly understanding of the others' silence.

"I know," he said, breaking the silence. "But she is the heir of Hyuga house, and I her protector."

She listened without argument, as she stuffed her scroll into its sheath; once she had properly laid all her equipment on the grass in front of Neji, she sat down exactly opposite him. He looked to her, his pale eyes concealing the half-truths in his words. And all the while, softly resonating around them, Lee kept his punches and kicks consistent, a steady tattoo in the woods.

"Neji, do you like Hinata?" Tenten asked him directly, smirking.

"Me?"

Neji concealed anything which might have given him away with his trademark look of repulsion, the kind he reserved for Gai's idiosyncrasies or Naruto's over-exuberance (both of which he was seeing much less of now). He edged his sight down to Tenten's feet. He hoped her claim would sound completely incredulous – to her.

And it seemed to work, for she returned the stare and said coldly: "Suit yourself then."

He sighed. Mostly out of relief –

But recoiled in horror as she moved within an inch of his face and gave the most playful grin he had ever seen on her face. "You don't fool me, Neji. Heh… wait till I tell the other girls about this."

"But –"

"Come on, get up!" she seized him by his arm and almost effortlessly pulled him to his feet. "With your mind on something else, I'm sure at last I can beat the invincible Neji Hyuga!"

_You really think so?_ It was Neji's turn to smirk. _You underestimate me, Tenten-chan._

* * *

By the next time he opened his eyes, the sun had plastered light and sweat all over his face. He took in the warm morning sunshine briefly, but clenched his eyes shut, trying to draw out the next move, or sense any slight compression of air. He could only make out darkness in the overwhelming light of the clearing. 

_I feel something_. His stance lengthened, and his left arm lowered till he could almost touch the grass. It was barely a short breath of wind – _a punch from Gai, a move from Lee, or one of Tenten's weapons?_ The surge of blood bursting through his eyes was alert as ever. Instead he could just make out an awkwardly shaped figure from beyond the hollow of trees to his left. At once, he relaxed, then opened his eyes. The light was blinding. He called out to his sparring partners:

"Gai-sensei, Lee, Tenten. There's someone coming."

Only Tenten responded, peering out from a cover of dense shrubbery. And, sure enough, someone burst through the hollow from behind. Neji could make out his deep, repetitive panting even before he saw his face – and the instantly familiar tattoos on it. In his own mind, he saw the man's face illuminate his memory as he stood as doorkeeper just two nights ago –

"Neji! Where's Neji?" Kiba asked. The uncommon panic from his voice was also telling.

Before he could respond, Kiba turned to him, the look in his eyes strangely hysterical. "I couldn't think of anyone else!" he said, half-yelling, half-panting. "Something's happening – back at Kohona – some members of your family – and Hinata…"

_Hinata-sama?_

Her name was like a trigger. He stiffened, tensed and realized it all at the same time; within a split second, he immediately advanced onto Kiba as if he was going to knock him to the ground for delivering such bad news. But before Kiba could react, Neji had brushed past him, almost gliding, in the direction of the village.

"What are you waiting for? Bring me there now!" he ordered. He turned back to Tenten, who was also starting to appreciate the urgency of the message. "Find Gai-sensei and Lee and return to Kohona. I might need all your help if things get ugly."

He kicked off from the ground and Kiba, following his lead sped off after him. _This won't take long_, _this won't take long_ – he knew almost by memory the route back to Kohona, and he knew at his speed and level of fitness it should not take any more than ten minutes. But today it was taking longer than he had patience for_. So many trees, so many obstacles_, he swore to himself, deeply dreading if he arrived too late.

Once they reached the guarded gate at the entrance of Kohona, he slowed and Kiba automatically took the lead, streaming off down a street, with Neji several paces behind him. A right turn, then another left, and straight again past many curious onlookers and pedestrians – _wait, is this not the way back to the Hyuga mansion?_ But instead Kiba darted beyond the house he knew so well and into a road which in the vicinity. He knew this place: a sandy, vacant lot between the houses and the academy.

"There! There she is! There she is!"Kiba called out. He halted, and Neji took a moment to survey the scene.

They were outnumbered, out-skilled and if a fight broke out (which could very possibly happen, judging by Naruto's big mouth), they would be outclassed. Three of them – Shino, Naruto and Hinata – were confronted by what Neji saw as a mixed pack of Hyuga branch family members, their Main Family representatives and Hidetori-sama himself. His eyes spotted Naruto with a torn sleeve, and one of the Hyuga Main Family members with his leg curled in awkwardly. _Some minor scuffle must have had taken place already_.

"Neji? Why are you just standing there and watching?" Kiba questioned him. "Hinata is…"

"Go. Defend her," he said, as if he was giving an order. "I will try and settle this as peacefully as possible. Don't let anyone touch Hinata-sama."

A nod of acknowledgement, and Kiba dashed to Naruto's side. Hinata turned to see who her teammate had brought back. Neji caught her wandering gaze; he could see she was determined – _since when have I not seen you so resolute? _– but the uncertainty which she was so poor at concealing came clear to him. He wanted her to stare at his blank, silently thinking face, to draw relief from same kind of admiration and resolution in her eyes, but fortunately he had better things to do.

_Don't worry, Hinata-sama. I will settle this mess for you_. And with that single reckless thought, he strolled into the fray.

The sudden appearance of Neji into the space between the two contesting groups startled both sides. He had it all worked out nicely; he was not going to choose sides – yet. He was sure he could settle this without anyone getting hurt. Yet his reasoning led him to another conclusion:_ I_ _know I don't stand a chance one-on-one with Hidetori-sama. _And right now, that same man was brandishing an unusual weapon: a seven-foot long katana, embossed with all kinds of designs, the kind Neji would more commonly see with Tenten than with a Hyuga house member. _Carrying a weapon is unconventional for a Hyuga_, he thought. He was working things out in his mind now; he might not have either Shikimaru or Shino's capacity for thinking ahead, but he was willing to test himself.

"Neji!" yelled Naruto from behind him. "We got some reinforcements at last!"

He chose not to respond, and this time it was Hidetori who spoke with him: "Ah yes, Neji-kun. I see you have come here to assist us to settle this unfortunate affair."

_Let me play dumb for once_. "What are you talking about?" he asked him.

"Our good elders have ordered me to protect the integrity of the Hyuga family by bringing your good cousin Hinata-chan back to the Hyuga manor where they will pass their judgment over this awful business of an engagement to an unworthy candidate," the Main House member declared. Neji found the smugness in his voice almost abhorrent. "We have run into some people who do not believe the Hyuga family is wrong in their analysis. We hoped you might lend us a hand to restrain them."

"Son of a dog!" cursed Naruto, again. "We have her father's blessing and you know it!"

"Naruto, shut up," Neji could hear Shino tell him patiently.

The man standing before him continued: "Hiashi-sama has, unfortunately, been temporarily relieved of his duties as Head of the Main House by the elders." At this news, Neji cringed. _Damn, let's hope nothing has happened to Hiashi-sama_. "You will have your help with this, Neji-kun. Or else I will be compelled to activate a certain curse mark."

_Six against twelve. Or five against twelve with me wasting time thinking. Or one-on-one with this idiot. Being an onlooker is not an option – unless Tenten arrives before someone starts attacking_. His hand unconsciously went up to the well-hidden curse mark on his forehead. The odds were staggeringly against him; he stood to lose the most in this confrontation: his friends, his standing in the Hyuga house, his life – and Hinata-sama.

"Yes, we understand each other very succinctly now, don't we?" went Hidetori.

_Let me think… let me think. _

He wanted to turn back to Hinata, and look at her pale eyes, to measure the buried confidence she would radiate from them – that look alone was enough to give him strength to battle a thousand enemies single-handedly – but he could not. And in the end, all that came to him were her words; through his anguish at thinking about his next move, they cemented his own failures like a katana through his forehead:

_"Neji-nii-san, you're more to me than this family. You're my cousin. And to me, that's enough." _

_Why that – now?_ He had never fought so many of his own family before and, genius or not, he would be fortunate to survive the _kaitens_ or the _jukens_ of a few. _Why_ _now? Because now is the time to show that you're good enough for her. _He reasoned with himself again, and in the lag time as Hidetori wanted for his response he almost submitted to his weakness, to twist his head back to Hinata for reassurance. Instead he stood facing his own fear and his ugly family; fate was robbing him from all he needed.

He already made his choice. _But I wonder will I even live to see her smile at me again, this time._

"Naruto, Shino, Kiba. Stand down," he commanded, without even looking back for their approval.

"What the hell?"

"Neji, listen…"

_Just a cousin – a good cousin. This time it's much more than enough. _

Before Hidetori could even give the order to attack, Neji had swept past him; in one complete, faultless movement, he directed his right arm in a _Juken_ move to the chest of the man beside Hidetori. _Juken_. He felt the chakra explode from his fist upon impact, and then the obvious crush of flesh under his hand. Before he could pull his hand out, someone came in from behind. _Nice try_. He recklessly spun around and, knowing his assailant would be aiming for his torso to disable his chakra, stuck out two fingers where he knew the impact would land. _Moves within moves within moves. _Lee had taught him that principle. _Now we'll see whose chakra is stronger. _

A howl of pain. Neji disengaged from the fray and counted his hits: one completely disabled with his _Juken_, another with a hopelessly immobilized right arm, bleeding where Neji's vastly superior chakra hit him at his palm. _So far so good, so much for family._

"My apologies to you, Hidetori-sama," said Neji, in almost mock respect. "But I have to protect the main family's heir."

At once Shino, Naruto, Kiba and Hinata were by his side. Hidetori expression of once untouched confidence had melted away.

"You never listen to me, don't you?" he directed his slight irritation at not being obeyed at Naruto.

"No. You're not officially my brother-in-law yet, remember?" he retorted with a smirk.

_Fine. Cheeky idiot. _If he could not keep them back, then he would need to help them fight.

"Engage them one at a time. Don't get hit by their chakra. And protect your vital points, especially your torso, neck and chest. Strike them before they can spin or move within striking distance. Understand?" he let them take it in. "If you're in trouble, Hinata-sama and I will help you deal with them, one at a time."

He turned to Hinata now. _This is your opportunity to show you're no pushover. _He gripped her arm to make her look at him. He expected everything he could read in her face – she was unafraid.

"Hinata-sama. You know what to do, and how to do it," he had a brief memory of him asking her to fight him in all their many training sessions. "But this time it's for real. Don't overreach. Don't hold back. Let them come and we will show them."

She nodded, and smiled. _Hinata-sama, you make me believe we can actually win. _

_Byakugan!_

And come they did. The first blow was for Hinata, but she parried it gently. Then Neji took over, his elbow buffeting the unfortunate man's cheek. Someone came for him while he was in mid-execution of his move, and Hinata's arm snaked past Neji to block the dangerous gentle fist coming at his heart.

_Fast. But we'll do faster, won't we?_

He caught his opponent's arm. Hinata sent a sharp slash of chakra square in between his fingers. A shriek. Neji forced the chakra through his left fist to deflect another blow. Hinata followed up with a _Juken_ to the man's chest. A low strike. He parried. She responded with a kick. He dodged the man's Divine Heavenly Palms jutsu. She twisted away to avoid the strike. And when she fell short of being clear, he threw an arm around her and wrestled her to safety.

_Yes._

Once she was free she knew exactly what to do – _do it now _– by the time their opponents saw her arms churning the air in a thousand equidistant arcs it was too late – one down – two down – three down – _beautiful, Hinata-sama _– Naruto shouted something – many people were closing in on him but he could not tell if they were friend or foe – _no matter_ – _kaiten! – _one – two – three – and four. By the time Neji landed, four squirming bodies were sprawled around him. He instantly returned to Hinata's side. _Back to the defensive._

"Are you all right?"

"How are my strikes?"

They both knew the answers. But as distracting they were to each other, two more Hyuga attackers put them back into the defensive.

_You don't have to ask me – you're perfect._

With the potential paralysis of one hundred and twenty-eight strikes of chakra coming down upon them, they responded in kind. Neither of the four knew the consequences of two hundred and fifty-six strikes of charged chakra coming into impact with each of their creators.

Neji struck square one of their fists. Hinata deflected a blow. He followed. She absorbed a blow to her fist too. Sidestep. Dodge. And strike. _We're dancing_. Every move he made she followed – and every move she made he responded – they fell back to back in defence – and when they attacked they took turns to follow up.

He felt the tense ridge of Hinata's back up against his, and it felt electric, a thrill to almost feel her powerful intake of air to maintain her pace. _I need to end this. But I must be patient. Follow his moves for now. _Parry. Deflect. And reach. And _yes. You've exposed yourself._ Neji did not let the opening go to waste – with relentless ferocity, he hit his opponent with his outstretched fingers under his chin. Their move broken, both Hinata and the other man were now vulnerably distracted. But, as Neji expected, it was Hinata who exploited the chance. Her attacker fell back clutching his injured torso.

_Nice move_. Neji enjoyed a split second's reprieve, before he found himself face-to-face with Hidetori.

The katana flew out at him but Neji was alert enough to twist himself away. Then, as he resumed his stance, he felt a pounding, sudden headache grip his senses. _Is this what I believe it is? _His hands went straight to his forehead, which felt feverish and unnaturally swollen; the more he thought about this discomforting sensation, the more painful it became. He had only seen one person succumb to this before: _this-must-be-how-Father-felt-damn-this-seal-_

_Damn-I-can't-see-anything._ Everything faded into a blur; his all-seeing vision could now only view one man - Hidetori – with his merciless katana before him. He seemed to be swirling and swelling – _why is he so big now? _– Neji took another glance and saw that Hidetori was enormous – and his katana was – _distorted – whistling like a bird – _

And to Neji's horror, he realised in one single moment that Hidetori was standing over him and had sent the katana coming down to the back of his neck.

_Crack._

"Hinata!"

Something liquid fell into his cheek, followed by something solid; but it did not belong to him, because the only pain he felt was still coming from his forehead. _What is that? _Something dropped beside him – _the katana or-? _With the pain eating away his judgment of his surroundings, he turned and found Hinata sprawled on the ground, curled over her left arm; pieces of unclear, mushy flesh littered the path to her.

_I need to get to her. _That was the only thing he could think of. In the background he could hear a swear word as Kiba, Naruto and Shino all engaged Hidetori. But Neji knew they would not last longer than a minute. But now he had another objective – _I need to get to her. I need to get to Hinata-sama._

"Useless," he heard Hidetori mutter. Then the voice turned to him. "Neji Hyuga, you will receive the due penalty for your disobedience to the family."

_Is it me, or is the fever intensifying?_ By the time he reached Hinata, he could not see anything; his eyes were weeping a viscous, smelly fluid he assumed was blood. And for the first time in his entire life, after years of being called a genius, Neji felt helpless – to defend the one whom he cared for – or to fight his family-forced curse boiling through his skull.

_But I'm not going to go down like this, _he told himself. Defiantly he sat beside Hinata, and forced himself to be at ease. His hands fell from his head to his chest-level, and he inhaled. _I need to be at peace. _He folded his hands as if saying a prayer, earning the scorn of Hidetori.

"Appealing to the ancestors won't save you now," he sneered.

When he took his next breath, the strain was still cutting into his forehead, but everything else was extremely still in his eyes' inner darkness. He could _see_ Hidetori, or at least his chakra, in front of him, although he could not estimate the distance. He shut away the distracting agony, and instead concentrated what was left of his chakra into maintaining that mental image.

_I need a weapon._ But instead of kunai, his digging fingers hit something soft from within his pockets: the precious _otoshidama, _weighed down with several coins inside. Neji laughed within. _This will have to do. _He kissed it, almost separating Hinata's scent and touch from the red packet, before lodging it in between two fingers.

"Are you going to fight me with a piece of paper?"

_No, I'm going to kill you. _He felt his reserves of chakra divert to his fingers, pressing hard around the paper form of the _otoshidama_. As a consequence, his image of Hidetori blurred, but he knew which direction the Hyuga killer was. Now he willed himself to concentrate, to remember and reenact exactly his move during training, pushing aside the dreadful anguish in his head, and seeing for one last moment Hinata's face decorate his inner darkness –

_Hinata-sama, you're more than enough for me._

He flung the packet – and the chakra accumulating in his fingers followed. In mid-air the paper piece erupted into ten thousand fragments of chakra-infused shrapnel which engulfed his target like a fog. And when Hidetori did attempt to defend himself, all it took was for one of the splintered iron coins from the packet to bypass his katana and arms to pass through the bridge of his nose and out from the back of his head, to immobilize him, completely.

The real, absolute silence which accompanied his throw was music to Neji's ears. And as the turmoil and torture he felt disappeared, the suffering Hyuga branch member had one last final vision – of Hinata cupping his hands and tracing yet another new scar on his palms – before he fell atop the person he had sworn himself to protect.

* * *

"He'll live." 

_Night. _Neji came to, but he was uncertain whether he was blind or whether nightfall had fallen on Kohona. Movement of his eyes was restricted by bandages and another hardened weight which he felt was medicinal salve. _Where am I? _

"You're awake," said a voice which made him jump.

The room was very badly lit, but Neji's eyes could make out Tenten waiting patiently by his bedside. Before she could even speak, he silenced her with the most important question: "Where is Hinata-sama?"

"Not very typical of you, Neji. Asking about a girl once you wake up," she scowled and gave a little puff of annoyance that he actually found funny. "She's recovering well. She may have lost several fingers, but that's nothing the Hokage can't fix. Lee and I arrived just in time. We had to fend off a mob just to get you here."

_She's alive. _He took a sigh of relief, but the sharpness in chest sent him back to his bed. Tenten's disposition changed completely; she steadied his shoulders and propped up his headrest. As he lay panting, he recollected the same sharpness which once flooded his forehead. The thought of it made him recoil.

"Relax, Neji. You need to recover too."

Neji stared, and Tenten gave him a grin. _She's here_. Lounging in the shadows just outside his bed, Hinata stepped into the light, and to Neji, it seemed like a full moon was now illuminating the dark room. There was a slight blush in her face, a familiar glaze in her eyes. The only indication that she had been in a fight was the unsightly bandage over her left hand; several fingers looked shorter than usual.

She stood over him, casting a sinuous shadow across his bed. For that moment he wished he was Shikimaru: he wanted a shadow imitation to bind him with her completely_. I have so many things to say, but where to start?_

"Hinata-sama…"

"You don't need to say anything, Nii-san," she held out her uninjured hand. Nestled in it, he was the recognizable red and black calligraphy of an _otoshidama._ Stunned and not knowing what to do, he stared at her features, made even more sharp and sublime by the light that was almost flowing out from behind her. _Like an angel._

Then, as if in a dream she lowered her head, and soothed the open, visible curse mark and scar on Neji's forehead with a kiss. To Neji, all around the shadows were alive and binding themselves to the two of them. As Hinata's hands took his tired head into her arms, he shut his eyes, his thoughts at last in serenity; all around he could hear the rustling leaves, the murmuring wind, the silent voice of Hinata's breathing, her breath warmth on his skin –

_Or am I already too late?_

And eyes closed, both the wind and her breath were coaxing his hair loose.

_Finished on 08.09.2007, by shelter_

* * *

NOTES: _Unfortunately, not under 10000 words, so this piece is not officially a short story. But my first try doing short stories & Naruto fanfiction has been rewarding – I always appreciate a challenge. All writers should. Some observations I made while completing this story:_

_The title __Red Packet __may have been a bit out of place. Because I realized not all _otoshidama_ are red; I based the title on my background knowledge. Still, I leave it to the readers to figure out what is its symbolism in this story._

_There are no missing scenes. I thought over a previous comment & I decided to leave everything as it is. Even in this chapter, if you feel as if some scenes are missing, I leave it up to your imagination as to how those scenes would've happened. Incomplete knowledge is good – sometimes._

_In this story, I would set the age of all characters to be several years older than they appear in the Shippuden manga/ anime._

_I probably will not get a lot of comments. But I need some recommendations as to whether I should do a sequel, or a prequel. Because if I decide to do one, I need advice on whether it should be a full-length narrative or just a short story. Also, I'm interested in trying out uncommon pairings for more Naruto fanfiction. Please give me your views. Thanks._


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